True Self
by Aspiring Hobby
Summary: Kagome is not what she seems for her true self has been bounded. The reality becomes a lie, past comes up and the life she has lead and will lead spirals! Did I say someone is cheating death? The story will have slash in it. Edited! Male!Kagome later.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

This is the edited version of the story True Self.

Great thanks to 'debookworm01', my beta for helping me out over here.

Also, a special Thank You to JALU for pointing out my mistakes in this chapter!

I hope you enjoy this chapter…

0o0

Once upon a time, there were no skyscrapers to tower in the sky, cars to zoom down the roads, technologies to provide the luxuries of time or any other things which now lay before us as a proof of advancement and wealth. In that time…there stood a world full of fresh air, lavish forests and lush green grass.

It was a world all on its own, the very creation of the Gods.

Human beings were peaceful, working day and night to attain their food by farming or fishing. They lived their lives to the fullest of each and every moment. The world was peaceful on its own. But as the saying goes, '_there is no light without darkness'_. So in the light of the nature lurked the creatures of darkness.

Creatures they were, of all shapes and sizes. Most common were the hideous, shapeless, dirty and filthy, called the lower level demons. These demons were inclined towards their primal, animalistic nature. They were all power and no sense.

Then there were those powerful enough to take on humanoid shapes. These demons were far more powerful than the shapeless ones. _Tai-youkai_ was the name given to such demons. They considered themselves far above others, believing none could defeat them. They hardly interfered with the matters of others, but if provoked, they were a force to be reckoned with.

The demons of both these levels had various types of appendages, symbolizing them as a different entity from humans. Claws, tails, talons, fangs, wings, pointed ears and markings littered their bodies. Depending on the species they were derived from, or how powerful they were, each demon had their own unique feature.

At first in this world, all was very peaceful. Both of the species; humans and demons, kept their distance from each other. It was as if in this one world there was room for both of them, as if, in this world, there existed two worlds; worlds which did not interact with each other.

However, soon…the times changed.

Humans started fearing the demons. The lower level demons considered humans weak and started feasting on them. In this fear for their lives soon a clan was formed called the demon slayers. These slayers trained day and night, winter and spring, perfecting their skills, to hone themselves into weapons against the feared demons. They vowed to protect their kin from such demons, and so they did.

At first they only killed the ones, who were evil, but soon their fear drove them to the point where in their eyes, every demon was malicious. This clan was the very root of the thought that_every_demon was an enemy to the humans.

No demon was shown mercy.

The slayers killed each and every demon they encountered, whether peaceful or evil. The slayers, in their arrogant behaviour started provoking the _tai-youkai_.

The _tai-youkai_ thought of this as an insult to their kind – to their honour. They fought back. None were spared. Neither demon had any mercy for the humans nor did any human have any mercy for the demons. And so a rift was formed between these two kinds.

Wars waged amongst humans and demons for centuries, all for foolish egoism, arrogance and pride. These wars resulted in gore and death to the extremes. There was no field on the once peaceful earth which wasn't covered with blood.

Soon these wars took a turn…for worse.

Feelings of hatred were seeded amongst the coming generation. Thousands of humans and demons died per day. Both refused to surrender. Now this was not a question for anyone's pride or honour. This was a question of survival!

The humans and demons alike became cruel, heartless and aggressive towards each other. Like it is said, '_nothing is ideal within this world_', so rare were the ones who were generous towards the opposing kind, but that did not deter the rift between these two kinds. It was far too wide to be patched up with the deeds of few humans or demons.

No matter how skilled these slayers were; demons were still far more powerful than humans – so much so that humans were driven towards the edge of extinction. Gods thought of both humans and demons as their children, and what parent would be happy to see their children fight?

Hence they chose some of their children, humans to be exact. Humans were specially chosen by the Gods because humans were said to be generous and kind-hearted. These humans were blessed from the Gods, resulting in giving the chosen humans some powers. Powers with which these humans could aid demons, making themselves belong beside them while still dwelling within the human kind.

The original motive of these blessings was to close off the rift between the two kinds.

But it didn't go the way Gods had planned, as Fate had something else in mind.

The humans used these chosen ones against the demons as a weapon. For the powers blessed to the chosen ones were not only meant to aid the demons, but to eradicate the malicious ones as well. The women were called priestesses and the men were called monks. Monks took up a staff as the form of their defence and priestesses took up the bow and arrow.

The very seed of hatred was inbred within these chosen ones, so instead of following the path set to them by the Gods, they chose to follow the path set to them by the humans – the path of hatred towards a kind which they were supposed to aid. Thus, because of these aspects wars waged on, and the rift instead of being riveted by these chosen ones became even more jagged and wide.

These chosen ones were said to be pure-hearted and kind to their own kin, but hatred and disgust was inbred into their hearts towards the demons, who in turn hated them.

Time passed. And the wars raged on, bloody and brutal. Then there came a woman, one who realised that demons were not inherently evil. She, Midoriko, thrived to fill this gap between the humans and demons, unconsciously carrying the original task of the Gods.

The Gods were pleased by her work and blessed her with more of their powers, making her far more powerful than others. In need to control her blessed powers, she trained not only in the ways of a priestess, but also of a warrior. She became a battle warrior priestess.

Along with being powerful she also held beauty, which any woman upon seeing her envied and wished to possess.

Many lusted after her power and beauty, and so once a group of three _youkai_, thinking they could defeat her, cornered her into her own cave where she rested. All three of them merged with each other, forming a large disfigured demon. And then they, as one, attacked her.

She fought straight for seven days and seven nights with neither rest nor food. But in the end she knew she won't last longer, as her body was tired beyond exhaustion. She was becoming weaker by the second. Seeing this as his chance to finally kill her, the merged demon lunged at her, trapping her effectively in his jaw. The priestess knew she won't live for long. As a last attempt to kill the demon, she unleashed each and every drop of her powers.

But it didn't go as it was planned, for she had underestimated the well of her powers.

Instead of killing the demon, her soul, being the source of her powers, burst forth from her heart and entrapped itself, as well as the souls of the merged demon, within the sphere of her power, forming a large, pink, and pearl like… jewel.

This epic battle, which was to be remembered for days to go on, left something of a proof behind… a jewel which was neither evil nor good. Midoriko, being blessed specially from the Gods, had held incredible power. The demons that were able to almost defeat the will of such a priestess were of no less account. The jewel formed from the entrapment of these powerful souls was also not some ordinary one; it was the most powerful artifact to ever exist on the face of the earth.

This mere jewel held so much power that it could grant anyone's wish, but it had a balance of light and darkness within it. So powerful was it that everything seemed possible in its aspect, but every wish had its own consequences.

If a wish were to be made on the jewel, then it would have had its own results, whether they being good or bad remaining unknown. The jewel had a balance within, so no matter the wish, if the desire was in itself selfish the balance within could tilt towards the evil, and cause much chaos. It was rumoured that only a selfless desire – a selfless wish on the jewel could make it disappear from the face of the earth.

But a wish in itself is a desire. So no one – even the wisest of humans or demons, could find a wish to eradicate the world from the clutches of the accursed jewel's endless temptation…

Only the slayers clan was thought worthy to protect it from the ascendancy of the evil demons, so it was bequeathed to them for protection. For 200 years they protected the jewel with their lives and wisdom, but soon it became too much of a burden for them.

The jewel could not remain in its purified form, as only the purest of souls could purify it. The slayers, though powerful, were mere humans – humans who had desires and wishes to fulfil. This affected the jewel. No more was the jewel in its pure form, for it had turned into a black pearl.

This black pearl was so tainted that no demon could resist its call – a call that killed and wasted many, whether they were human or demon. The elders of the slayers clan thought it best to entrust it to a worthy protector – a protector who was pure enough to ignore the call of its evil wishes.

Hence a group was formed, which consisted of shrewd, powerful slayers. They travelled in search of the purest being in the warring states era, wanting to be free of the burden they had carried for 200 years. Days turned into months as their search continued…

Everyone thought it to be impossible. The search was proving fruitless, but then suddenly a ray of light appeared in the form of a rumour, of a powerful priestess named Kikyo living in the village of Edo. She was sought out for the task. The priestess agreed for the good of humanity, for she had no other choice. Soon, the jewel came into her possession. Being a powerful priestess, she killed off each and every demon that came after the jewel. She protected it with her life.

Along with being powerful, she too, like the priestess Midoriko, was a sight to behold. Many lusted after her, but none sought her out, for she killed off every one of them. Same was the case for the humans. Many wished but never did they approach her, for back then to approach a priestess of her status was a crime – a crime which could lead them to their death.

The burden of protecting the jewel took its toll on her mind. She wanted to be a normal woman – to marry and to have children. But being a priestess with the burden of the jewel she could not be one. For the priestesses were said to lose their gift from the Gods if they were to have any intimate relation with a man, or for the matter to think about a man in such a way was a crime in itself.

The priestesses were said, no, made, to think equally of everyone, and have no selfish desires for themselves, for their life within them. These banishments forced on her due to her status, made her life miserable. Her heart always sought to be a normal woman, and sought every chance it could get.

One day when a hanyou_,_a half demon, came after the jewel, she let him live, merely on a whim. The half-breed, thinking that the priestess was actually weak and that all the rumours were false, attacked her again for the jewel. Curiously enough she again let him live. Soon their encounters increased in numbers. He would come after the jewel; she would defeat him, and then let him go instead of killing him.

From the bonds of hatred, a love was blossomed. Her mind told her to banish this relationship and bury the love, but her heart yearned for it. In the end her heart won. She dreamt of having a family with the silver dog-eared hanyou, Inuyasha.

For the love she yearned for, she made a plan to escape her destiny of an eternal protector, and to complete her duties towards the jewel. Both the priestess and the _hanyou_discussed it for days, and then finally, Kikyo suggested a wish that would free her of the jewel's burden so she could live a normal life.

The wish was to turn the hanyou, Inuyasha, into a full human. The wish seemed selfless, for losing one's heritage was not selfish. Moreover, no questions would arise on their relationship, which they feared, as a hanyou and a priestess would not be allowed to marry, but if both were human they could.

During the time their love bloomed silent and strong Kikyo, being a priestess, took care of a burned thief who lusted after her. He was a malicious man, but she was unknown to his evil thoughts. She told him everything, considering him as her best friend – her only friend, besides her baby sister. Her baby sister could not understand the depth of what she had to go through; the wishes she held. So she told it all – told it to the bandit.

The bandit Onigumu came to know of her love towards the hanyou, and their plan as a family. He became jealous, but being unable to do anything for he was immobile. Being burned to a crisp from head to toe except for his one right eye, he merely listened to her talk, but every time she spoke of her love for the _hanyou_ and of her dreams, he became jealous beyond recognition and sense.

The day before the wish was to be made he summoned evil demons and offered them his soul. In return he only asked for power, power through which he could kill the _hanyou_and gain his love, his Kikyo. The demons devoured his soul, and merged with his body, turning him into a spider _hanyou_named Naraku, a shape shifter. Since Naraku was the merging result of so many demons, it earned him the trait of a 'shape shifter'.

While Kikyo was headed towards her hanyou to give him the jewel so he could make the wish, Naraku, in his jealousy, turned into the form of Inuyasha, and attacked her, giving her a mortal wound above her heart. He did not take the jewel, but merely abused her verbally, saying that he did not love her, whilst still being in the form of Inuyasha.

As Kikyo lay there wounded in the meadow she thought of what he had said. Inuyasha's betrayal hurt her, but it also made anger swell in her heart. She quickly stood up and went back to the village. She put the jewel back in its resting place, which was in the shrine. Then she stood, determined to kill the inu_-_hanyou who had oh so selfishly – betrayed her.

Whereas on the other hand; Naraku turned himself into the form of Kikyo. He did nothing to Inuyasha, but merely verbally abused him just like he had abused Kikyo, and said that she did not love him. At last he in the form of the priestess gave the inu_-_hanyou a warning, a warning that if she ever met him again then, she would kill him.

Hurt by the fake Kikyo's betrayal, Inuyasha thought of revenge, and attacked village of Edo. He stole the jewel kept within the shrine walls while completely destroying the village in the agony of fire. Whereas on the other hand the real Kikyo, bleeding from her wound, looked for Inuyasha, so she could give him the fruit of his betrayal.

As Inuyasha was passing from the famed god tree, their rendezvous for the wish, an arrow caught him in his chest, pinning him to the tree. The jewel fell limply from his hand and onto the cold forest ground. As he looked at the arrow imbedded in his chest, he then turned to see the one who had done this, to see the face of his attacker, the bleeding Kikyo.

The arrow, though filled with purification powers, did not kill him. For the tree he was pinned to was magical; it was the Tree of Ages. The tree of ages was said to belong everywhere at every point of time. So instead of being purified, the arrow merely sealed him to the tree, putting him in the eternal sleep.

Kikyo, still bleeding from her wound, knew she wouldn't live long due to the fatal wound and blood loss. As her baby sister of eight years took hold of her swaying form she said in a whisper – her last wish, her last words:

"Burn the jewel with me."

Onto Kikyo's pyre the jewel was burned with her body. Many came to search for the jewel as her ashes cooled down, but it was found nowhere. Thus, the belief the jewel had vanished was spread out. Time passed away as the days turned into months which further tuned into years and soon 50 years passed to this day.

After a time, a strange girl appeared out of nowhere through an old well named: 'The Bone Eaters Well'. She was the identical image of the priestess Kikyo herself but somewhat younger. She had same angular face but soft features. Dark coloured hairs with an unusual blue sheen in it reached till her waist. Though the clothing she wore was different to what Kikyo had worn. Her clothes seemed otherworldly for the matter; none had even seen them before. The girl was known as Kagome Higurashi.

She was the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo, who astounded all with her beliefs and doings.

0o0

What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

This is the edited version of the story True Self.

Great thanks to 'debookworm01', my beta for helping me out over here.

I hope you enjoy this chapter…

0o0

0o0

Kagome let out a long and suffering sigh as she trudged along the path ahead of her. Inuyasha had set them on a very hard and fast pace, and he was taking no word about rest. It had been going on like this for about a week. He remained edgy, and every new day he chose a new direction. She was not the only one tired; the rest of the group was as well. But she was not going to complain about it.

So much had changed since the day she had arrived in this era. She had made new friends; friends who were ready to die for her. However, she had not only made friends, but enemies as well. Oh, how her life used to circle around only boys, grades, school and such petty issues. All had changed and now her life revolved around a mere jewel. A jewel that had destroyed not only hers, but everyone else's lives as well. Her eyes glazed over as she remembered how she came about to be here…

_Confused, she had roamed the new era she had been unceremoniously dumped into. Earlier in the morning she had been searching the well shed for their family cat, when a blue-coloured light had burst forth from the well, bringing along with itself a centipede demon that had grabbed her__and dragged her down the well__. The next moment she had known, she was in an unfamiliar place and time._

_She had wandered aimlessly among the rumoured Inuyasha forests, which she knew not at that time. As she was wandering, she had stumbled upon the sleeping hanyou, Inuyasha. She had never seen any demon before so she was surprised and shocked – if her outrageous gasp was anything to go by. Not only that, she was mesmerized by__the sight of him as well._ _She had become so engrossed in h__im that she hadn't heard the villagers who came from behind her. She was not even aware of their presence until the moment she__was captured. She was__accused of being a doppelganger, a demon. And all she had done in her defence was sit there, confused._

_As accusations of her being a demon had come out as fruitless, she was took in by the head priestess of that village named Kaede, the baby sister of Kikyo. Later on she was announced as the reincarnation of a woman she had never once seen in her life – a woman whose name was Kikyo._

_In the night the centipede demon came again. It was in search of a jewel, a bauble also known as the Shikon Na Tama. Afraid and confused, she had started running, trying to lead the demon away from the village so as it would not harm anyone else._

_The demon had attacked her, and bit out a chunk of her flesh from the side of her left hip. In the process, the demon had taken out the jewel from within her. The centipede had then swallowed the jewel whole, and she had found herself bound by the centipede to the__famed God Tree__, where the pinned half-breed lay in an eternal sleep._

_She still remembered her surprise – her shock, when she had seen Inuyasha alive, looking down at her struggling form, instead of sleeping as he was said to. And then the anger that had coursed within her, as Inuyasha called her weak and filthy. So angered was she that she had done what the hanyou had asked her, and that was to pull out the arrow which had pinned him to the tree._

_Later on, Inuyasha had saved her from the centipede, or so it had seemed to her then. For the real reason Inuyasha had killed off that demon was to retrieve the jewel it had carried._

_She had thought that he had actually helped her, so to thank him she had moved forward, but he was bitter, thinking her to be his lost love Kikyo, and had tried to kill her. Though the key words remained; 'tried to'. For the priestess Kaede put a subjugation spell onto him, enabling him to be under Kagome's command,__a thing which made him sour._

_She was ordered by the priestess to subdue the hanyou, and so in the desperation to save herself she said the first word that came to her mind, and that was "SIT". As she had said that word the beads around Inuyasha's neck – as a result of the spell – glowed bright pink, almost magenta in colour, and pulled him down towards the ground, face first._

_Later on she was given the task to protect the jewel. It was also revealed that she was from the future, 500 years to be exact, and the well through which was pulled into this era was actually a portal between her era and this warring states era._

_She had been unknowing of the dangers of the era she was thrown into at first. So one day, out of anger, she had stormed off into the woods, where lurked the creatures she had once believed to be in myths only. There the jewel was once again stolen from her by a crow demon._

_She had not believed it when the old insane lady that is priestess Kaede had told her that the jewel was important. She had dismissed the accident as though it was nothing. The very hanyou who had on previous occasion tried to kill her, urged her to get it back. Thinking that it mattered to him, she took up a bow and an arrow, and gave it a shot. The arrow, though charged with her untrained, un-balanced purification powers, had killed off the crow demon, but in process had also shattered the powerful artefact into hundreds of shards with only one shard remaining in her grasp._

_That was the greatest folly she had ever done in her life…_

_Being the protector of the jewel, she was able to sense the location of those shards and see them no matter where they were hidden, whether they were hidden within clothes, or elements of any type, and even within flesh. Thinking of it as her duty to gather the shards – as she had broken the jewel in the first place – she set out on a journey to collect them, and to fuse them back into one jewel again._

_So__along with Inuyasha, she journeyed to gather the shards spread around feudal Japan. Even though at that time he had done it for his selfish reasons, reasons that enabled him to make a wish onto the jewel, a wish that was to make him become__a full-fledged demon._

_During their journey to collect the shards both of them had met foes and friends alike. Some even joined their little group. The very first person to enter their little group was none other than a small Kitsune called Shippo, who was the child of their group. Then__came Miroku; the wise one of their group.__And then finally Sango, Kagome's sister-like friend, and her familiar, Kirara, a fire cat._

_Though there were some who joined their little group, there were also some who though did not join their group, were friends all the same. One of them was none other than the Lord of the Northern Lands, Kouga. Kouga was more of an annoyance to Kagome sometimes, since he kept on pressing that she was his mate, which always led to a fight between him and Inuyasha. However, he was still a great friend and ally._

_Along with friends, her group has also met many enemies as well. The very demon,__they all wished to kill was Naraku. Naraku was the very person who was the cause of all their agonies. He too was collecting the jewels, and doing so had destroyed many lives; innocent lives. He was not alone, for alongside him were his 'attachments', so to say._

_These attachments were actually a part of Naraku himself, parts which he had cut from his body. They include a void demon, Kanna; a wind witch, Kagura; a spider demon, Hakudoshi and finally the most important of all, the bearer of the real heart of Naraku, Akago._

_The reality of the world is not divided between black and white, there is also grey in between. So along with meeting many friends and foes, the group of six also met people who were neither their enemies nor their friends. One of them stood dominant over all, and he was Lord Sesshomaru, the__Lord of the Western Lands._

_Sesshomaru was the older half-brother of Inuyasha. At first Sesshomaru had been adamant in killing his half-brother Inuyasha for the sword 'Tetsusaiga'. But then times changed, as Sesshomaru realised that the sword was the only thing keeping Inuyasha's demonic side at bay, so he stopped pursuing his brother for the sword, surprising them all. From them on, he seemed to be helping the group more than trying to demolish them._

Helping…that was the biggest matter for Kagome. Everyone seemed to help, except for her. She was most useless one in the group. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kirara…they all could handle their own in a battle…even Shippo could protect himself. But she was a special case, being the only one in the group who could not even kill a lower level demon.

_Three years!_Three years had passed since she had come into this era, and still nothing. She could do nothing! She could not even hold her bow correctly, or even fire an arrow straight. It was good that most demons were larger in size; otherwise her arrows would never hit them. Every time she had to pray to God, pray to Him to let her arrow hit her mark. So many times she had not only jeopardised not only her, but many lives around her. So all in all if she had to sum up that she was the weakest in the group and a burden altogether.

She just felt so useless.

She had asked her friends to train her, but a certain hanyou would become irritated and disagree. Then her friends would make some excuse about not having time or she didn't need it. She was just tired of this. She really wanted to be of some help.

Even Shippo didn't need her anymore. They had found out about his family and currently he was living with them. He would visit the group once in a while like he was visiting right now. He would usually come when they were back at the village, and then he would travel with the group for a while, one week at the most, and then he would leave on his own. After living with his relatives he had become quite powerful and could handle his own against lower level demons. He could even identify aurora's now, which helped him avoid the powerful demons he could not stand against.

She just felt pathetic. Then there was the issue of her future. It was just sinking day by day. Her family had been supportive to her all the while but she knew they were also disappointed in her. Her mother would always be calm and supportive of her situation. She would give a sad smile and then comfort her. Her brother would help in her studies and her grandpa would also encourage her in his own crazy little way.

Her family was not only the reason she worried about her future. No. How long before this hunt was completed? There were only two parts of the jewel left now. Quarter of the jewel hung around her neck and the other part was in the possession of Naraku.

Kouga's jewel shards had been taken during an ambush from Naraku. Kohaku's shard had been taken before their very eyes from Naraku as well. Sango had been devastated about Kohaku's death but in the end she had satisfied herself with the thought that he had already been dead.

After they defeated Naraku, then she would be sent to the future by the jewel, if not then she would go by herself. So, she worried more about her life in the future than anything else. She needed to have good grades, so that when she went back she would at least have a chance to start her life.

Why would she stay? There was nothing left for her here in the past. Sango and Miroku had confessed their feelings, and surely they would marry and have children. Shippo didn't need her, as he had his own family. He was also the upcoming Lord of the East, as his father was the former one. And Inuyasha… she had given up on him a long time ago. During this journey she came to realise that Inuyasha would never be able to love her, as he saw Kikyo in her and that was not acceptable to her. She wanted someone who would love her for who she was, not as a shadow of someone else.

So what was there left for her in the past…nothing! They would all move on. She would be left alone in this era to fend for herself. It was not like she could marry. She needed to marry the person who would understand her and her ideals, which considering the men in that era, was not possible. Also, after being in the company of demons for such a long while, she wanted to marry a demon, not any human male. This was certainly not possible, as what demon in his right mind would marry a priestess?

She also knew that no man in the future could meet her standards, but there would be something for her to go for or perhaps have a stable normal life.

So she worried more about her future. There used to be a time when she would dream about living in this era and being the wife of a certain silver dog-eared hanyou. But now she knew that that would never happen. A bittersweet laugh came out of her mouth at that thought.

She stopped in her stride as her friends looked at her weirdly, but she just shook her head at them giving them a small smile. Then a gruff voice said from ahead of the group,

"Keh! Wench. Looks like a little walking had tired you out," said Inuyasha, laughing like an idiot, "we will camp here." With that Inuyasha jumped up high into a tree.

She inwardly flinched at his tone but thanked him nonetheless. Even after these three years he couldn't even respect her as a friend. She just shook her head at that and set about making the camp. Sango and Miroku said nothing at this as they got lost in their little world talking about Naraku and his plans.

After the dinner was served, all of them went to their respecting sleeping places. Inuyasha as usual remain perched in his tree. Sango and Miroku lay side by side in front of the fire, as usual talking about something unimportant. Kirara sat at the other end of the fire at Sango's right side in her true form as Shippo lay curled up with her. Kagome, on the other hand, lay in her sleeping bag, unable to sleep for some odd reason.

Even after a long while she still could not sleep, and watched as, one by one, her friends fell into the realm of sleeping as she lay there continuing on her part of self-loathing.

She didn't know for how long she was lost in her musings but a voice from in front of her caught her attention. She looked up to see a flash of silver and red. She sighed, knowing what this flash was. Inuyasha must have left the cam to go to his long lost lover. She was sure of it. And as if to confirm her suspicions she felt a tug in her soul, and if that wasn't much proof then those snake like thingies called soul collectors with souls in their claws was. She didn't know why she stood up to follow him, but as she didn't have anything else to do and as she couldn't sleep, she might as well follow him. She had a weird feeling in her stomach, but shrugged to herself, as it was probably nothing. She silently stood up so as not to disturb anyone and went after Inuyasha.

As she walked she heard noises from ahead of her and as much as she could, silently moved towards those noises. She hid behind a tree and watched as Inuyasha and Kikyo hugged. She had no fear of being caught as whenever Inuyasha met with Kikyo he became like a lost puppy and lost all his senses.

It was the plain old scene. Inuyasha and Kikyo would hug and then they would speak their names to each other like they were doing now.

"Inuyasha."

"Kikyo."

Then they would sit together and speak in low, hushed tones. She thought about leaving them and silently turned around to go back to camp but something caught her attention.

"Kikyo, where are you leading us?"

_Leading us? What do you mean leading us, Inuyasha?_She thought as Kikyo answered:

"Inuyasha, we will reach our destination soon. Don't you trust me anymore?"

"Yes! I do, Kikyo, but you just keep on changing directions," Inuyasha said, with adoration shining in his eyes.

_Disgusting_she thought.

His words rang in her head like a broken record and then suddenly it all just clicked in her head why Inuyasha was edgy. Why almost every day he changed directions. Why at every night he would sneak off. It all fell into place inside her mind. He did it all for Kikyo!

Whatever they said after that she didn't hear, as anger build up in her. They had been moving at such a hard pace just because Inuyasha wanted to keep track with Kikyo. Despite the fact that many a time Kikyo had betrayed them all by siding with Naraku. Kagome had pointed this out, but Inuyasha didn't believe her.

Many a time she would fight with Inuyasha on this topic but he didn't believe her or anyone else for that matter. He would just turn up his face. She had let it go, in defeat, thinking one day he would understand. She always ignored his meetings with Kikyo thinking he just wanted to be with her but here he was making plans for their route of the next day with HER!

And God knows where that golem was leading them. It could be a trap for God's sake and he didn't even think of asking anyone else about it. He was just lost in Kikyo's cruel love like a puppy following his master. He didn't even think about her betrayals. Least he could do was discuss it with them but NO! He didn't think it necessary to include his friends in his plans even though he could be leading them to their deaths.

She quickly calmed herself down lest she gave herself away or had a fight with Inuyasha, which she knew would be fruitless. She turned around, determined to think about this matter later, discuss it with her friends and then confront Inuyasha about it all, but once again it all went down the flush as once again a sentence from Inuyasha caught her attention.

"Kikyo, I don't know why you don't join in with the group! It would be wonderful and you are even more powerful of a miko than Kagome. You would be of great help. I have to save her every time. If you were there it would be helpful. We could always send her back. She is always whining about her tests and all. She could go and do it all since you would be there to take her place. And moreover you would be a more powerful asset to our pack. "

What Kikyo answered to that didn't matter to Kagome as hurt and anger swelled in her heart. Before she could even comprehend what she was doing, she started running in a random direction as tears streamed down her face. That statement hurt her more than she would like to confess. Her heart shattered into millions of shards. Everyone just thought she was weak. She was of no help to anyone. She was more like luggage which was holding them back.

She knew they all thought her as weak. Sango and Miroku didn't say it out loud, but she knew they always thought of her as liability. She knew they never thought in a bad way about her but they would always devise plans which mostly centred in protecting her rather than attacking their enemy.

She wished to protect them sometimes than to be a liability to them, but then all of them would always object from training her. In her own era also she couldn't train because Inuyasha wouldn't give her enough time. And with Lady Kaede, it wasn't possible, considering they hardly stayed there at the village. They would always stay there for a few hours. Enough for her to gather supplies, or if they stayed it was for two or three days, which she spent in her era to cope up with her studies. She knew she was weak but hearing it from her best friend….though indirectly, hurt her more than she would care to admit.

She didn't know how long she ran, as all of the day's stress and exhaustion caught up to her. With the additional mindless running she knew she won't be able to stay awake anymore as black spots covered her vision. Before she could even stop her running, she collapsed on the unforgiving cold, forest ground wishing to be strong…

Kagome blinked her eyes open as she felt soft grass beneath her. The soft music of birds chirruping filled her ears along with the sound of ocean waves – wait a second!

_Calm, ocean waves…?!_

She was sure, they were not near any ocean, and the land they were travelling in was not near ocean or sea. She didn't even have gotten a chance at a proper bath since they had started their hunt after their rest in the village, because of the random directions of Inuyasha. At the thought of him anger build up in her.

Then a deep masculine voice startled her out of her reverie of mutilating a certain hanyou.

"Calm down little one."

0o0

So, what do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

This is the edited version of the story True Self.

Great thanks to 'debookworm01', my beta for helping me out over here.

I hope you enjoy this chapter…

_0o0_

_"Calm down little one"_

Kagome blinked her eyes open to see a demon; a dog demon, to be exact. The demon looked like almost a copy of Lord Sesshomaru. The demon had the same shade – perhaps a little bit lighter – of hair, with amber coloured eyes. At first glance, if she had to say, the man himself looked like a Lord, a demonic Lord. The way he held himself, with his regal features…_yep, definitely a lord!_She thought. But there was something off, something familiar about him. There was something about him, something that she should know. She felt like she had seen this man before, but where had she seen him? Then her eyes zeroed in on something shiny. And that something was the Sword of Hell… Sounga!

_Sounga?_

There is only one person in this whole universe who could be able to wield the hellish sword, and that was the Lord Inu no Taisho. With a start she realised, that she was looking at none other than the Great Dog General himself, the late father of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

She quickly scrambled to her feet in a daze. She blinked, and then pinched herself to make sure that she was not in some weird dream. The last thing she remembered was running away from Inuyasha and now here she was standing in front of the Great Lord himself – a Great Lord who had supposedly died two hundred years ago. _What the...?_Was she imagining… hallucinating?

She pinched her cheek once again just to be sure, and felt the tell-tale signs of pain forming at the pinched skin. Confused, she looked at the demon before her. If she was feeling pain, then he had to be real, or she had to be dead. To her the latter seemed like the more likely prospect. Was she killed while she was lying on the forest ground? Was some demon feasting on her body whereas her spirit was somewhere in the afterlife? It did nothing to help her unease.

Before she knew it, she had extended a trembling hand towards the demon. Slowly her hand inched forward, and when finally she felt soft silk in her hand, she felt confused and relieved at the same time. If she was dead, she certainly should not be able to feel anything. Then again she did feel pain before. So was she dead or not? Since she could feel the texture of the cloth, so she must be alive. Right? Confused, questioning blue eyes met with amused amber.

And that seemed to be a cue of some sorts, for the demon outright laughed at her. Her face heated up in embarrassment at his outright show of amusement at her state. Worried that she had done something wrong, she just felt all the more embarrassed. Then a soft voice said from behind her, startling her,

"Now, now, little one, there is no need to be embarrassed."

She looked behind her to see a woman, a miko to be exact. The woman had long midnight black hair that reached past her thighs, and fell loosely against her frame and her eyes were a dark green colour so much that they looked almost black. The woman wore armour over her miko garb and also carried a sword at her waist.

Kagome looked questionably at the woman before her. She was sure that she had seen the woman somewhere before. But where had she seen her?

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. The woman before her was the great miko: Midoriko, the creator of the Shikon No Tama. Her mind whirled as it tried to process the fact that before her stood the legends of this era – Lord Inu no Taisho and the legendary Midoriko. She really was dead, wasn't she? Otherwise how could she be standing in front of two people who were supposed to be dead for centuries? Before she could comprehend anything else, the question slipped out of her mouth,

"Am I dead?"

Appalled at herself, her hands flew to her mouth. How could she be so rude like this? As if somehow they had read her train of thoughts, both of them laughed and smiled slightly, but she stood there confused, embarrassed and dazed.

Midoriko, seeing the confused look on the younger miko's face, took pity on her and said,

"No little one. You are not dead. And before you ask, let me tell you that we are not alive as well. You are in the Realm of Shadows and in reality we are no more that spirits."

Kagome nodded at the information she had been provided, but still did not understand the situation as a whole. She asked,

"…The Realm of Shadows?"

Lord Inu no Taisho looked at the younger miko and answered her query,

"Yes, little one. There are three realms in all. The first one is the Realm of Living, which is called Earth. Then there is the Realm of Death, which is called Afterlife. All people who die move on to this realm. But there is one more realm, which is in between these two realms, and it is called Realm of Shadows. People who die sometimes have many wishes which are left unfinished… sometimes there are things which are needed to be done by these people, but by some reason they are not able to finish these things, or tasks. Such souls live here and are reborn once again to complete their tasks and fulfill their wishes. Once all of those tasks are completed, they move on to the Realm of Death and are never to be born again."

Here the Inu Lord paused, to see if the younger miko had followed so far.

Seeing her nod, he continued,

"We, child, did not part after death. I was chosen by the Lady Fate to train you in the future. But, as you know, I died. Lady Midoriko could not depart, for half of her soul is contained within the jewel and the other half lives in this realm."

Kagome nodded at the Inu Lord, and opened her mouth to ask the question which bugged her, but Lady Midoriko raised her hand to stop her from speaking and said,

"Child, first let us finish what we have to say and then you may ask any question you may have."

Kagome nodded in affirmation and Midoriko continued,

"I know what you are thinking. Why was my soul split into halves? Why the Inu Lord was chosen to train you?

"You see, child, when I was trapped into the jaws of the demon, then I had released all my powers onto it as my last form of attack, but soon I realised the power of it was beyond my control, and that power interacted with the whole of my soul, creating an explosion. In that explosion my soul was split into two parts. One half bound the youkai and my powers, thus creating the jewel, and the other half came over here into this Realm.

"As to why Lord Inu was chosen to train you is because as unknown is the future, Lady Fate had seen this that the Realm of Living will be in peril. She had known, once the jewel was created, that the fate of all the Realms will lie on your shoulders. You see, all the three Realms depend on each other to exist, and once the Realm of Living is dead then nothing will exist. She did not wish to take any chances, or what you would call risks, thus she appointed the most powerful Lord to train you and give the Realm of Living a chance – a hope to exist."

Kagome felt her eyes widen as shock and surprise settled over her. Earth, The Realm of Living, was to die, and it was on her to save it? But how? She could not even hold a bow properly. How could she save an entire planet? There must be a mistake, there had to be. She could not do this. Inuyasha himself had said that she was no better than a mere copy. Kikyo was far better than her. After all, she was but a mere copy. She could not do anything. Her chest constricted as her breaths came in shallow pants. She knew she was starting to panic. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop it! How? Why? All these questions rang in her mind. The words of Inuyasha rang like a broken record in her mind.

_Kikyo you are even more a powerful miko than Kagome._

_I have to save her every time._

_She is so weak._

_Weak._

_Weak!_

"Calm Down! Little one! Calm down!"

Kagome glanced up at the Inu Lord as he said something to her. She knew he was saying something to her, but she could not understand what he was saying. It could not be possible. There has to be a mistake. She was but a mere copy. She was no better. She felt her heart clench painfully. It was so hard to breath. Black spots danced in front of her eyes. She was so weak, she could not even breath, and how could she do this –

_SLAP!_

Pain prickled through her body as redness blossomed on her cheek. She blinked her eyes and looked around her. She was on the ground. What the –? When did she sit here? Her cheek hurt! With a wince she touched her cheek, and found to her utter surprise for it to be warm. There was something warm and liquid-y on her cheek. She brought her hand up and saw to her surprise that there was blood trickling down her fingertips.

She came out of her musings as she felt a heavy hand settle on her shoulder. She looked towards the hand, and then followed it to a blurry figure of white? What?

She blinked her eyes, and to her surprise, felt tears track down her face. Numb with shock she rubbed her eyes and then once again looked at the figure of white to see the worried face of the Inu Lord.

Seeing her blue eyes focus on him Inu no Taisho leaned down towards the younger miko, and helped her stand. After steadying her, he looked at her regretfully and said,

"I apologize, dear, for raising my hand against you like this, but you were not calming down and had stopped breathing."

As he looked at the young miko awaiting her response, Lady Midoriko spoke up,

"Child, calm down. There is no need to fret. You are neither weak, nor are you a liability. What Lord Inuyasha said does not matter. You are powerful."

Kagome looked at the Inu Lord, and then at the Lady Midoriko to see both of them looking at her seriously, without a shade of doubt on their face or in their conviction of her.

"But, but it can't be possible. I am but a mere copy. Kikyo… Kikyo is more suitable!"

Inu no Taisho looked at the younger miko with a look of such sadness that Kagome felt horrible, as if she had done something she should not have done. Inu no Taisho said,

"Child, I do not know what I should do to ask for forgiveness of what my second son has done. I cannot tell you how much ashamed I am to call that boy my son. Little one, I am sorry for whatever he has done to you."

Startled, Kagome looked at the Inu Lord and said,

"But there is nothing to forgive my Lord! Whatever he says is true!"

Lady Midoriko looked at the miko in front of her, and felt rage settle within her.

"No dear! What he says is not true. You are no copy of anyone. You are your own soul!"

"…My o-own soul? B-but –" Kagome cut off as Lord Inu gripped her shoulder and said with a voice which brooked no argument,

"No little one! What Lady Midoriko says is true. We have watched your birth with our very eyes. For us spirits, time is no issue, so we have watched as you were birthed. You have a vast soul, my dear, and you are way more powerful than anyone at this time alive or dead. Yes! Yes dear, even Lady Midoriko, with the whole of her powers cannot even hold a candle in front of you."

Kagome gasped as she heard those words and looked towards the mentioned miko to see her nod in agreement with the Inu Lord. She opened her mouth to protest but it died at her lips as both the Inu Lord and Lady Midoriko raised their hands to her protests.

"Yes dear, what Lord Inu says is quite true," Lady Midoriko said, "you are much more powerful than me. And before you think of how Kikyo lives on, it is quite simple, dear. You are very powerful. It is due to your power that she lives on. You have a very vast soul, child. If not for the part of your soul within Kikyo, then she would have died a long time ago. And perhaps you are wondering why all this power does not show…?"

At this Lady Midoriko paused to see if Kagome was following though the younger miko was looking at her with curiosity plain on her face.

Lord Inu nodded in accordance to what the Lady Midoriko said, and seeing the curious look on the younger miko he continued,

"The reason for this, little one, is that there is a block on your power. You would have died if your powers were to be released in whole. We are both here to train you and help you release your powers one step at a time."

Kagome took in the information and tried to wrap her mind around it all. It was very hard to process everything. A big part of her was intent on thinking that this was all a joke, and both of the legendary figures in front of her would just start laughing at her, and tell her so, but there was a small part in her which hoped that this was not so, and it was all real.

That this was not some cruel joke of fate on her, but in reality a truth; that she would get the training she so desired. As she looked at the Lord and Lady in front of her, she knew that it had to be real. She may have wild fantasies but surely her mind could not imagine such things, and everything they said made sense.

If what they said about her soul was true, then it answered the question as to why Kikyo would need souls of dead women to live, so she could carry on living as before. If Inuyasha and Kikyo insisted on saying that she was but a mere copy, then wouldn't she also need to consume those souls just like Kikyo?

But as she contemplated this knowledge, there was something that bugged her. It could not be all this easy. Everything had a price, and this all could not be this_easy._

She looked at Lady Midoriko and then at Lord Inu with a questioning look upon her face, silently asking for their permission. Seeing both of them nod at her, she asked,

"If I may ask, My Lord and My lady, it seems to me that this is all too _easy._There must be a price, right?"

Lord Inu and Lady Midoriko both looked at the younger miko with surprise.

"We are surprised, little one that you have figured it out. Yes, there will be a price."

Kagome looked at the Inu Lord waiting for him to explain. When nothing came more from him, she asked,

"What price will there be?"

Lady Midoriko answered the query put forward,

"As the future is unknown to us, so is this. We may know that the future of the Living Realm rests on your shoulder child, but we do not the outcome. Such is this. We know that there will be a price, but neither I nor Lord Inu knows what price you will have to pay. But we know that it will be more than it seems. Once you complete your training here, then will it be known."

Lord Inu continued from here,

"This is where we ask you little one, that will you take up on our offer to train you? Though, you must know that once you accept you cannot go back, and you will have to pay the price."

Kagome looked at Lord Inu as he asked her the question. It was all clear like black and white to her. She had always wanted to train and she knew that she would give anything to train. After all, if the life of so many innocents rested on her shoulders, then the least she could do was do her best. So with a determined nod she said,

"I accept. Lord Inu and Lady Midoriko."

"Very well then, child." said Lady Midoriko with a small smile gracing her mouth. Lord Inu nodded in agreement,

"We will not go easy on you little one," he warned.

Kagome inclined her head, and then opened her mouth to ask a question bubbling in her mind,

"But what about, time? I cannot waste it much, after all, if what you say is true, and then I do not have much time on my hands. How will you train me? It will take me years, and Naraku –"

She was cut off as an amused Inu lord raised his hand, and said,

"Do not worry, little one. As we said before, time is of no problem to us. We can train you over here for centuries and still it will be but a moment in the Living Realm. We both will train you over here for as long as takes, and before you say it, little one; you will not age here. However, what you will learn here will go with you back to the Living Realm."

Kagome looked at the Inu Lord as he said this, and asked,

"So, you mean to say that I can train here for centuries and it will be only a moment in the Living Realm?"

Seeing both of them nod, Kagome beamed at them, and said,

"Okay then!"

Let the Training begin!

So for centuries to come, she trained in the Realm of Shadows.

She trained in every art of fighting; Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and many others. She learned to handle each and every weapon known in the world either to man or demon in a native-like ease. Even without her powers she made her body become strong. After all, a fit fighter has a better chance to win.

Lady Midoriko taught her all about miko powers that was to be known. She learned to call them on a thought. It turned out her powers were so intense and vast that they were pure, spiritual _magic,_thus she could do anything with merely a thought. She didn't need any spells. She just needed to will and manipulate her powers. It was with her Will that her mere thought would become the Word.

But that doesn't mean she wasn't taught about 'them'. _Them;_ being the spells and the rituals. According to Lady Midoriko, she may not need them, but that doesn't mean that others won't as well. She will have opponents who will use these spells and she should know what spell does what. Learning spells and having their knowledge, she could fake the intensity of her powers. So that if she doesn't want to reveal that she could do this all without spells, then she could just say the spell and will her powers silently, thus faking the intensity of her powers to her opponents. This way she could have an ace up her sleeve, as Lord Inu said to her.

She wasn't only taught in fighting but also in battle skills, every language be it human or demonic, battle plans, strategies, about various battles, rituals, codes of courts whether it be human or demonic, about every subject known around the world, the laws, etiquette, history, eloquent speech, cooking, hunting, perfect hostess and much more. As Lord Inu had said before that he wouldn't go easy, well he didn't. That man was a slave driver through and through!

Who knew there were so many laws and rules to go about in a court? Really, if she ever got the chance to time travel, she will kill the person who thought of court etiquettes!

Step by step she removed the block from her powers. The biggest surprise she had gotten when she removed the block from her powers was that she could manipulate her powers to be used in demonic form as well. Lord Inu had been ecstatic by this, and she had bemoaned her fate!

For the first time she had realised that there was a reason the demonic Lord was called the Great Dog General. Lord Inu was ruthless to a fault, and did not take any excuses! That man was a slave driver! Sesshomaru could not hold a candle against that man…err…demon! She was sure of it.

Neither Lady Midoriko nor Lord Inu no Taisho had gone easy on her. No, they had outright treated her like a slave! Well, she had a suspicion that a slave would be better off than her.

With the mix effort from both the Lady and the Lord she had learned, to some extent, how to use her powers in demonic form. She was not good in that field, and there was much to be learned. There was only so much both of them could teach her. She could use her powers to manipulate plants and shadows. But she had a barest mount of control on them. Most of the times, both the elements would get out of control and instead of attacking her opponents, they would attack her. Though she could control them through her spiritual powers, but when her powers were changed into demonic, then it was not an easy task. After all she was born a human, a powerful human, but human none the less.

She could control wind and fire as well. On these two elements she had much better control, but there was much to be desired.

And then there was this weird part of her training in which she was not only taught about how to be a lady but also how to behave like a Lord, think like a him, live like a him, be like a him and moreover she was forced to transform into a male form for many years until she could be comfortable in a male body. She had detested that part of her training with a passion. When she had questioned about it they had merely shaken their heads and said,

"In case you need to be under an illusion of a male."

_Illusion, my arse!_Rationally, she knew they were correct. So far she and her group had only been saved by luck and chance. They were at war and if what Lord Inu had said was correct, then they would have died, if they had continued as they were. Naraku had started gathering forces, forces of elite fighters. Moreover, there was something on the horizon. A greater power was rising courtesy of Naraku himself. She had to be ready in all cases!

While she was being trained from the legends of the era she had also formed a family out of them. Midoriko became like an older sister to her, with her understanding gaze and comforting reassurances. Lord Inu no Taisho became like a grandpa with his enthusiasm about some long ago battles and his random tales of travelling, dances, women, and much more. That man…err…demon, was sometimes eccentric at best and gave competition to her senile grandpa!

And now the time had come to depart from her family.

She felt tears well up in her eyes as she stood before her spiritual family, but she cared not. She had learned so much from them. She had not only learned to become a fighter, but had also learned so much about life as well. She very much wanted to just stomp her foot and deny going back, but she knew that that was not possible. If only. Every time life gave her something, and like a greedy child took it back. She just wanted…wanted to for once not to give it back.

She looked at both of them sadly, but with resignation, knowing no matter how much she wanted, this time she had no right to be selfish. Lord Inu would finally depart to the Realm of Death, as he should have centuries ago. He could not rest because of her, and now he would finally. And Lady Midoriko, she would forever be hung between these two Realms if she did not go back and complete her duty to gather the Jewel and complete it once and for all.

Lady Midoriko looked at the younger miko, who was not so young anymore. So much had happened in these centuries. It seemed like it was yesterday when this little miko had come into this Realm as per the decision of Lady Fate. She wished that she could have some time more with the younger miko, but knew how irrational that was.

With a voice which held poorly veiled sadness, she said,

"Kagome, my child, we all knew that this day would come. No matter how much we wish, you have to go. Your duty awaits you. But remember that we will never forget you even in the afterlife. Don't forget to cherish the life you have. Always remember what we have taught you."

Lord Inu, or as he had come to be called by the two women, the _old coot_, said,

"Little one, I will not lie to you and say that I wish for you to go and complete your duty. I wish for you stay with me here, but we both know how idiotic and irrational that wish is. In this time that I have spent with you, I have come to see as you as my own. Do not lose yourself in self-pity or in grief over our loss. Remember what I have taught you and put it to good use."

As soon as those words left his mouth, the Great Dog General found himself hugged by the younger miko.

Kagome looked at the Inu Lord and said,

"Don't say that! It is not idiotic. I want to stay as well! I don't want to go. I don't wan…na..."

Her voice broke as she cried. The sound was muffled as she buried her face into the chest of the Inu Lord, but was no less heart-breaking.

Lord Inu no Taisho held the younger miko close to him as she cried her heart out. He felt his heart clench. Tears prickled in his eyes and he looked at Lady Midoriko to see her silently crying as well. After what seemed like eternity to him, his little one finally stopped crying. As he held the young miko, the tears which he had tried to hold in slipped from his hold and now left silvery tracks in their wake.

Kagome tilted her face and looked towards him. Her heart clenched as she looked at the tear tracks on the face of the Inu Lord. With a trembling hand she wiped the tears and said in voice hoarse from crying,

"I promise you, I will never forget you. Neither you nor Mido! I will make both of you proud, and neither of your teachings will go to waste."

As she said this she looked towards the mentioned miko, to see Lady Midoriko looking at her with tear filled proud eyes.

Disentangling herself from the Inu Lord, she moved towards Lady Midoriko and hugged her with all her might. A small part of her did not want to let go of her older sister type figure, but she knew she had to.

So with a heavy heart she let go of Lady Midoriko and then with a determined glint in her blue eyes she looked at both of them and said,

"I cannot thank you enough. You both have given me things that no one else has ever agreed to give. You have given me self-confidence, the will to defend myself and most importantly made me stronger and helped me find myself. Both of you helped me to leave the shadow of Kikyo and gain myself again."

Lady Midoriko looked at the younger miko now turned fighter and said,

"We are proud of you, child!"

Lord Inu nodded in acquiescence and said in a haughty tone,

"And you would do well not to forget what we taught you, little one, or I will find a way to haunt you for the rest of your life and I will make sure Mido would be able to as well. So if you do not want to be haunted by two slighted spirits, you better keep our teachings in mind!"

Kagome giggled at his haughty tone, and all three of them shared a smile at that, but nodding in agreement to the threat. She then composed herself as her mentors gained a serious look on them.

Lady Midoriko looked at Kagome, her younger sister type figure, and said,

"Child, it is time for you to go."

Seeing the Kagome nod solemnly at that, she continued,

"Remember that we will send you to the time we brought you here from. You will have all the knowledge you have gained as well as power. There will be no block on your powers anymore. As you know, you will have to pay the price for the training you have received. None of us know what will happen."

Once again Kagome gave a solemn nod at that, and so Lady Midoriko spoke again,

"No matter what happens, don't ever lose your calm. Remember child, accept things as they are. Do not let any obstacles block your path, no matter what they are."

She finished with a sad face.

Kagome only smiled a little, and hugged her female mentor tightly,

"I will remember Mido. Do not worry. I will not let anything come between me and my goals."

Lord Inu no Taisho looked at the hugging females and said,

"Now dear…"

Seeing that he gotten the attention of both the females, he continued,

"Little one, we cannot give you anything, but there is something I have left for you back in the Living Realm. When Lady Fate had assigned me as your mentor, I had collected a sum of money, weapons and some odds for you. I wanted everything ready, for it was not known to me when you would arrive. I wish for you to go and collect them."

As he finished saying the request, he once again found himself arm full of the younger miko who said something in quick succession. All he could only make out was,

"You didn't have to –", "thank you –" and "love you!"

Chuckling at the younger miko, he said,

"Yes, I had to. There is no need to thank me, dear, and I love you as well. Now listen to me!"

Flushing a bit, Kagome disentangled herself from the Inu lord and looked at him, giving him her full attention,

"I want you to go to Sesshomaru and ask him to take you to the Eldest of us all. The elder one will know why you would have come and will give you what I have left for you."

"Sesshomaru? Are you sure? He will never take me, you know?" Kagome asked the Inu Lord as he finished giving her instructions.

"Now, little one, we have taught you this much. Surely, you can handle this small task?" Lord Inu no Taisho asked the younger miko, while an eyebrow rose in question towards her.

Kagome felt blood rush towards her face,

"Uh…yeah, I will go ask him. Anything else?" she stumbled on her words.

Lord Inu looked towards Kagome with a small mischievous smile, making Kagome feel wary suddenly,

"Ah, yes! There is something else. When you go to Sesshomaru, tell him that the _'The time has come for the bloom of Sakura's'_. Tell him to go tell this phrase to the Eldest."

"Huh? What does that mean, old coot? Are you on one of your eccentricities?" Kagome asked the Inu Lord with wariness colouring her voice.

There was nothing good going to come from that smile, she just knew it!

"Ah! There is nothing for you to worry about my little one. I assure you that it is no eccentricity of mine." Lord Inu no Taisho said.

For once he did not even take any offence at the detested nickname of his. He gave the mischievous smile of his again, which was shared by Lady Midoriko as well.

_Ah-ah, nothing good!_Kagome looked at both of her mentors. There was something fishy going on here. She was sure of it!

Seeing a wary and questioning look on the face of Kagome, once again both the mentors shared a look which spoke volumes, and made Kagome even more suspicious. Lord Inu said,

"Little one, do not worry. I assure you, you will know it in time. Now you just do this work of mine. And remember not to tell Sesshomaru that I have given this message. Just say that it's important."

Kagome looked at the dog demon suspiciously and thought,

_Not to tell Sesshomaru? Definitely Fishy! Anyway, he says this as if this is easier said than done. Sesshomaru would probably kill me before following my advice. Oh well, I have to do this no matter what. Though I wonder what these two are planning….with the way these two go it must be something interesting. Well I will see in time. Now I just have to remember to tell Sesshomaru about it._

Lord Inu no Taisho and Lady Midoriko looked at their apprentice and unconsciously smiled at her thoughtful face. Both of them felt proud of her, and in their heart wished her the best of luck. None of them knew what lay ahead of her, and could only wish for her to be strong and be able to cross the hurdles which Destiny and Fate may throw at her.

They both knew Kagome may have come a long way in her training, and may have left the shadow created by Inuyasha and Kikyo, but there was so much left to be desired. No matter how much she hid it from them, both of them knew her heart had shattered that fateful night. Kagome may have forgiven Inuyasha and have overcome her misplaced love for Inuyasha, but she would never be able to forget what he had done to her. In some ways both of them were happy at this. They did not wish for her to forget what had been done to her. This way, she would be cautious and would not give away her heart so easily.

They only wished that she would be able to find someone who would pick up the shards of her shattered heart and mend it once again. Someone who would make her feel in love once more, and who would not destroy her as Inuyasha has done so. Someone, who would protect her, instead of hurting her, and see her for who she was, let her fight her battles, and support her.

Both of them wished that she would be able to find someone who would share her burden and be happy about it, instead of thinking of it as some responsibility, but moreover someone who would not see her as some baggage.

Lady Midoriko shared a look with Inu Lord, and said,

"It is time, child."

Kagome felt herself slouch. She did not wish to go, but knew that she had to. She looked at both of her mentors and with a final nod of farewell and some bone crushing hugs with lots of 'miss you's' and 'love you's' later, she readied herself.

Kagome knew she would never forget her time with these two. Lord Inu, also known as the Old Coot, was her best friend and a type of a grandpa. He could be stoic in one moment and then childish in the next. He was a great confidant as well. Both of them had shared much between themselves. She could tell anything to him and never be scared that he would make fun of it or something else. And in return Lord Inu had shared his feelings and thoughts with her, making her his confidant. He was, in some ways, like a part of her.

On the other hand Lady Midoriko had become like an older sister to her, whom she shared all her worries with. She was like an idol to her. Mido would reassure her when she would feel worried with nothing but a hug and a few words. She could not share all her thoughts or what she had seen or done with Mido, but she could come to Mido and know that Mido would accept her with open arms. She was just like the Inu Lord. Mido – like him – completed a part of her.

She would always remember them, no matter what. So what if she could not be with them. She would cherish their memories.

As Lady Midoriko and Lord Inu spoke in an ancient language, her world whirled around her. Soon black spots covered her vision, and she fell into the land of unconsciousness.

0o0

So, what do you think?


End file.
